Explosive device



A. D. ROMAIN.

EXPLOSIVE DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25. 1917.

IIVVE/VTOR ATTORNEYS AUGUSTUS D. ROMAIN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

EXPLOSIVE DEVICE.

Application filed July 25, 1917. Serial No. 182,614.

To all whom it may concern:

it known thatI, AUeUs'rUs l). ROMAIN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn of the city of New York, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Explosive Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing, formin a part hereof. I

This invention relates to an explosive device equally adapted for discharge from a rifled gun as ashell and a bomb which may be dropped, for instance, from an aeroplane.

It is especially designed for use against submarines, the arming and firing being accomplished by the hydraulic pressure of the water into which the device enters. For the purpose of this application there is disclosed an embodiment of the explosive device in a shell, but as the description proceeds it will becomeevident that the principle of operation may be embodied in a bomb. The object of the invention is to provide an explosive device in which the hammer block is normally locked against movement byradially extending piston bolts passing through the wall of the shell and entering the block and adapted to be forced from locking engagement with the block by the pressure of the water on the ends thereof after the shell has entered the water at relatively high velocity. A further object of the invention is to provide in 'a device of this character a hammer block which is moved into operative engagement with the percussion cap by hydraulic pressure after the device has entered the water; In the improved device where either one or the other of the above named characteristics is embodied, it is within the scope of the invention to associate adjunctive devices. which are common in the art, such as means for insuring the firing as a percussion device upon impact with some object in the water, such as a submarine. Modifications of this kind are such as will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and may be included with the novel principle employed wi'hout departing from the scope of the invention.

Reference is now to be had to the accompanying drawing for a detailed description of one embodiment of the invention, the single figure of said drawing showing in longitudinal vertical section a shell having incorporated therein the improved armin and Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented May 13, 1919 firing means, and in elevation water vanes for directing the shell through the water and preventing tumblin The shell casing a, which may be of suitable design to permit its discharge from a gun of any known type, carries a bursting charge I) held in .place by a transverse parti tion 0 secured in the shell in any suitable way and on which is supported, preferably centrally, a percussion cap cl, which communicates with the percussion charge through a flame passage 6. In the forward end of the shell is mounted slidably a hammer block 7' on the face of which is formed a firing pin f in line with the percussion cap (Z and adapted to strike the cap in a manner to be described hereinafter. The hammer block f is normally held at a. suitable distance from the percussion cap by means of bolts g which enter holes in the hammer block. It is to be noted that these bolts 9 while disposed su'b-- stantially radially of the shell are preferably given. a slight curvature to facilitate their movement without danger of binding. The bolts may be held in locking position by suitable flat springs g attached to the body of the shell. These flat springs prevent the bolts from being moved out accidentally and hold them in position against any releasing force, such as centrifugal action, except the hydraulic pressure of the Water as will be described. The forward end of the hammer block is recessed or cupped, as at 7, this recess beinq exposed freely to the open for- Ward end of the shell. The bolts 9 at their inner ends are preferably beveled, as at 9 to conform generally to the contour of the cup shaped recess. The extreme forward open end of the shell may be beveled, as at a, to conform generally to the contour of the recess 7 and direct the water inwardly as the shell enters it. In addition to this beveled mouth of the shell, there may be supported on the end of the shell .an independent sleeve h the bore ofwhich may be enlarged outwardly slightl so as to present a funnel like mouth to t e water when the shell enters it, the design as thus far described being intended to insure the taking of the water by the shell immediately upon its entrance into the water regardless of the angle of incidence at the surface. the flaring sleeve h and on the'end of the shell body there may be supported water vanes 2', preferably of spiral form, which are also intended to impart to the shell a directive effort when it enters the water and hold the shell against tumbling after its entrance into the water. The water vanes z' with the sleeve h with its funnel-like bore, the beveled open end a of the shell and the cup shaped recess f all insure that when the shell enters the Water it will travel through the water in a straight line, and that the full pressure of the water shall be thereby directed into the cup shaped recess f It may be desirable, in practice, to provide a few by-pass channels a for the stream of water thus directed into the recess 7, these channels being formed conveniently around the periphery of the shell at its forward end and extending to a point below the lower edge of the sleeve in whereby the surplus water may be discharged constantly through these channels.

The structural featuresof one suitable embodiment have now been described. From the description it will be understood that the shell is marked primarily by its great simplicity, not only insuring cheapness of manufacture and minimum machine work, but also certainty in operation and safety against premature explosion. In operation.

where the explosive device is used as a shell for discharge from a gun, the bolts will hold the hammer block against movement. during flight of the shell, the springs g of these bolts being of sufficient tension to resist the centrifugal force whichmay be impressed upon the bolts tending to release them. When the shell strikes the surface of the water, no matter what the angle of incidence, the flaring sleeve it will direct the water into the recess of the hammer block and against the ends of the bolts. understood that the shell enters the water at relatively high velocity and that the Water is directed into the cup shaped recess f it will be apparent that great hydraulic pressure is developed in the cup shapedv recess and impressed upon the ends of the locking bolts which are exposed to the hydraulic pressure. These bolts will immediately be driven outwardly until disengaged from the hammer block f, as indicated by dotted lines in the figure. When the beveled ends of the bolts, which thusoperate as pistons, pass beyond the periphery of the block, the full hydraulic pressure will be devoted to forcing the block f rearwardly, so that the firing pin f will be impelled forcibly against the percussion cap d and bring about the explosion of the bursting charge 7) in a manner well known. Undue retardation of the shell after it enters the Water by reason of the great hydraulic pressure set up in the open end thereof is prevented by the b v-pass channels 0. which permit the passage of some of the water.

A feature which may be of some practical hel It being importance has to do with the character of the vanes'i. I It will usually be desirable to make these vanes spiral with a pitch subaviation Work, it may be preferable to placethe guiding vanes i at the rear end of the shell easing rather than at the forward end. The 0 eration of'the device Will be-the same since when the bomb 'isdropped from a ht. the funnel shaped cylinder h will take the water and direct it into the cup shaped recess f while the vanes 11 .will pre vent the shell from tumbling and direct it douilnwardly along a substantially straight pat v When the explosive device is intended for discharge upon impact, the forward end of the shell wall may be made comparatively frangible, so that upon impact this portion of the shell will be collapsed and the hammer block will be forced rearwardly against the percussion cap upon the collapse of the forward walls.

Changes in matters of design and details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope thereof being defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An explosive device having a casing, a hammer block mounted slidably therein, a

bolt carried in the casing and engaging the an opening formed in the end of the casing and by which the hammer block is exposed K to the hydraulic pressure of the water into which the device may be plunged to fire the device.

3. An explosive device having a casing, a hammer: block mounted slidably therein, a bolt carried in the casing and engaging the block to hold it locked, and openings formedin the casing and the ammer block by which the end of the bolt and the block are exposed to the hydraulic pressure of the water into which the device may be plunged to release the bolt and fire the device.

4. An explosive device having a casing, a

hammer block mounted slidably therein, a

bolt carried in the casing and engaging the block to hold it locked, said bolts being substantially radially disposed but inclined slightly to the axis of the casing, a spring to hold thebolts normally in lockin position and an opening formed in the b ock by the device may be plunged to release the bolt.

5. An explosive device having a casing, a hammer block mounted slidably therein, a bolt carried in thecasing and engaging the block to hold it locked, an opening formed in the block by which the end of the bolt is ex posed to the hydraulic pressure of the water into which the device may be plunged to release the bolt and a flaring cylinder carried on the end of the casing to take water and direct it against the bolt.

6'. An explosive device having a casing, a hammer block'mounted slidably therein, a bolt carried in the casi and engaging the block to hold it locked, said casing being provided with an open end through which the bolt is exposed to the hydraulic pressure of the water into which the device may be plunged to release the bolt. 1 7. An explosive device having an open ended casing, a hammer block mounted slidably therein, a bolt carried in the casing and engaging the block to hold it locked and a cup shaped recess in the forward end of the hammer block into which the bolt passes, the bolt and the hammer block being exposed-to the hydraulic pressure of the water into which the device may be plunged to release the bolt and fire the device. (A

8. An explosive device having an open ended casing, a hammer block mounted slidably therein, a bolt carried in the casing and engaging the block to hold it looked, a cup shaped recess in the forward end of the hammer block into which the bolt passes, the bolt and the hammer block being exposed to the hydraulic pressure of the water into which the device may be plungied to release the bolt and fire the device, and beveled ends on the bolts to conform to the curvature of the re cess in the hammer block.

9. An explosive device having a casing, a hammer block mounted slidably therein, a bolt carriedin the casing and engaging the block to hold it locked, openings formed in the. casing and the hammer block by which the end of the bolt and the block are exposed to the hydraulic pressure of the water into which the device may be plunged to release the bolt and fire the device and vanes carried on the cash to direct the device in its passage throug li the water and prevent. it from tumbling.

10. An explosive device having a casing, a

hammer bloclg mounted slidably therein, a

bolt carried in the casing and engaging the block to hold itlocked, an opening formed in the blockby which the end of the bolt is exposed to the hydraulic pressure of the water into which the device may be plunged to release the bolt, a flaring cylinder carried on the end of thecasin to take water and direct it against the ho t'and channels extending along the periphery of the casing to permit the by-pass of water entering the flarcylinder.

in his-specification signed this 24th day of July, A. 1). 1917.

AUGUSTUS, D. Roi/I IN. 

